Do: Workout Your Networking Skills
For business owners, entrepreneurs, and anyone in the marketing business, networking offers more than social value. Building relationships with other businesses and current or potential clients is one of the keys to success. Take all of the networking opportunities you can get so you don’t miss out on the following benefits.

• Learn something new! Business and marketing trends are constantly evolving, so it’s important to keep up with the times.
• Build your company’s reputation and increase brand awareness. Social media marketing along with word of mouth among colleagues and consumers have the potential to spread information like wildfire.
• Creating and maintaining professional connections is a great way to form opportunities for support and collaboration.

Do: Dress to Impress
Whether you’re putting together an outfit for an interview, corporate meeting, promotional event, presentation, or even a business casual activity, your style can be used to make the right impression – if you know how to use it to your advantage. These professional attire tips go a long way.

• We’ve all been stranded in front of the mirror before, struggling to choose. When in doubt, lean toward the more conservative option to play it safe.
• Adding a classy watch, necklace, or a tie to your ensemble can accent your look perfectly – but don’t go nuts with the accessories to avoid uncomfortability or a gaudy appearance. If you’re unsure, keeping it to three accessories is a good rule of thumb.

• Always dressing up more than dressing down will help you stand out from the crowd and you will never be underdressed for any situation. It is better to be overdressed than underdressed.
• Avoid anything that seems a little too casual. You don’t have to wear heels and tuxes if that’s not your thing, but definitely steer clear of articles like ripped jeans, crop tops, sweats, graphic tees, and basketball shorts.

Do: Practice Punctuality
Remember that expression, “the early bird gets the worm?” As cliche as the phrase may be, it’s true! It’s always a good idea to plan on arriving a few minutes early.

• S*** happens – if you get stuck in traffic or have to make a last-minute stop, leaving early will ensure that you still get to your meeting, interview, or event on time.
• Having a reputation for keeping your appointments shows reliability, and fosters trust between your company, business partners, employees, and your clients. When you make a habit of showing up late, it gives the impression that you either don’t have it together, or don’t take the other party seriously.
• Being tardy often means missing important information and opportunities. “Fashionably late” has gone out of style, so make timeliness a priority.
• If you do end up getting stuck in traffic or running behind your usual schedule, always be sure to inform your boss and peers of what is happening to keep them in the loop of what is going on.

Don’t: Nobody Likes a Negative Ghostrider
Remember, you represent your business and its branding. The way you behave and the things that you say can either make or break you.

• Talking badly about other businesses and their products or services says more about you than it does about them. Beat out the competition by being the best in your field – not by trying to make others look bad.
• When out and about networking, don’t leave your positive vibe at home. The more approachable you are, the more likely you are to succeed in your entrepreneurial endeavors.
• If something goes wrong, don’t focus on the negative. Respond by highlighting the positive aspects of the situations instead.
• For example, if you receive a nasty review or a product recall, express gratitude for bringing malfunctions to the company’s attention so it can be resolved.

Don’t: Email Etiquette is a Thing
Professionalism isn’t only conveyed in person. Sometimes we forget that there are dos and don’ts of emailing in the workplace, but that’s a royal mistake. Here are a few things to keep in mind. Sometimes it can be hard to interpret someone’s tone through an email. Anything can be perceived in a way that wasn’t intended.

• When you receive a group email, your response doesn’t always need to be read by everyone in the chain. To avoid embarrassment, double and triple check who your email is going to before hitting send. Only “reply all” if everyone needs to see the content of your reply.
• Extra emojis and multiple exclamation points are perfectly appropriate on your personal social media account – but not in correspondence between business professionals and clients. Tone it way down to prevent seeming juvenile or unprofessional.
• When sending attachments such as content marketing projects, forms, business proposals, or any other important documents, do not, as the saying goes, “just send it.” You can’t unsend an email, so remember to check that you have attached the correct attachments as well as the correct email address.
• If you need to send an email that includes something negative, try to sandwich two positives around the negative so that the person on the receiving end does not feel defeated.

Don’t: Leave it at Home
Bringing your emotions to work with you is a major don’t. While there are certain parts of your personal life that are okay to share, it’s important not to let your feelings get the better of you in professional settings.

• If you’ve had a bad day, and everyone has bad days, it’s understandable to feel less than bubbly. However, bringing that negative energy to networking events, business consultations, sales pitches, etcetera, is only going to make your day worse when it inevitably causes a deal to fall through or makes a bad impression on a potential client.
• Unfortunately, no matter what business it is, you’re going to have disagreements with others at some point. If a customer, employee, or other professional connection frustrates you, handle the situation with as much dignity and politeness as possible. You can always get it off your chest when you dish about it to your friends after work.
• As tough as it can be at times, don’t let the way you feel influence you to make a poor decision. Letting your pride or personal opinions get in the way of a business opportunity is as unprofessional as it gets. If you grit your teeth and push through, the results will be worth it when your client base grows, branding improves, or product campaign makes a breakthrough.

Professionalism is a key that opens countless doors for business owners, creative minds, and entrepreneurs like yourself. Master it, and success is yours for the taking.